Social media, cellphone video fuel Arab protests

WASHINGTON—Social media, cellphone cameras, satellite television, restive youth and years of pent-up anger are proving to be a toxic mix for authoritarian regimes in the Middle East.

In clip after clip of footage from the street protests that have been sweeping the region, demonstrators – mostly young men – can be seen among the crowds holding mobile phone cameras aloft to document the scenes.

The shaky footage of peaceful protests – and images of horrific carnage – have been uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and other sites and aired on pan-Arab satellite television stations like Al-Jazeera.

Google-owned YouTube has been highlighting amateur footage from the unrest – such as clips from Libya from a user who goes by the name “enoughgaddafi” – at its news and politics channel, CitizenTube.

In Bahrain and Libya, graphic pictures and raw video of harsh crackdowns by the security forces on crowds of protesters earned international condemnation for their governments and further fueled popular anger in the streets.

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